Live More, Work Less This Summer

Live More, Work Less This Summer

I have said it before and I will say it again. I am a regular degular girl just out here going for it. Please do not take my word as gospel.

(Can you tell the journalist in me gets antsy when asked to share my opinion as advice?)

The task at hand for this article is revealing my plan for making Summer 2018 a living spree. Admittedly, I do not think it will be hard to do, as I just hit a milestone birthday of 30 in April and summer is my absolute favorite season of the year. So, “celebration” will be something like a permanent mood for a while.

In general, I have four goals for the summer:

Take 36 hours off from work weekly

Sweat intentionally everyday

Only travel domestically

Explore the great outdoors

Let me tell you how I created this list.

“Those who worked more than 55 hours per week had a 13 percent greater risk of a heart attack, and were 33 percent more likely to suffer a stroke, compared with those who worked 35-40 hours per week.” – University College London

As a new entrepreneur, I have formed the unsettling habit of working seven days per week. This is not fair to me or my loved ones. It has come to a point where me-time “Netflix & Chill” sessions involve my laptop and vacations require a window of time for me to catch up on work. I don’t like it. And, I’ve decided it does not have to and will not be my way of life as an entrepreneur.

The summer is my test-run for my 36 hours without work rule. With my unpredictable schedule, it’s hard to say I won’t work weekends. So, I am just focused on unplugging for a set amount of hours. The goal is to get to 48 hours without work per week. I know that setting aside time will help reduce anxiety, improve my sleep patterns, and ultimately clear my mind for new ideas.

“Sweating can flush the body of substances of alcohol, cholesterol, and salt. The body releases toxins by using sweat as the conduit.” – Medical Daily

In 2017, I was introduced to infrared sweat therapy and my life has not been the same since. City Sweats, Seattle’s first infrared wellness spa, is where I learned the mental and physical benefits of sweating. After just one year, I have seen my problems with water retention completely disappear, my metabolism improve and only fought the common cold once. Emotionally, I have seen results too, as I am often clear-headed and in a calm state after a sweat session.

Growing up in the hot-humid south, I always dreaded sweating. But now I have a new outlook on the health benefits of achieving that glow. This summer, I plan to be intentional about exploring sweat-centric activities everyday, whether that’s an outdoor walk in the intense Memphis heat, hot yoga, or infrared cycling.

I have had the privilege of traveling to Jamaica, Canada, The Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, German and France. The biggest lesson I learned from these travels was immersive tourism. So often people stick to the resorts, neighborhoods or tourist attractions found in every brochure. But the true gift of travel is experiencing another’s culture for yourself.

The irony is that I have not taken that approach when traveling domestically. I am often looking for the most festive things to do. This summer, and really this year, I have made the decision to only travel within the U.S. and to focus on cities where I have friends and family. Yes, this is a money saver; hello! But, it also goes back to that statistic in that it’s a chance to connect. I am fortunate to have a career that allows me to create my own schedule and I want to take better advantage of that in terms of sharing life experiences and making memories. I want to see everything from the east coast to the west coast from the lens of my loved ones!

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